This invention relates to respiratory masks and service modules suitable for use in pressure breathing and other applications.
High performance, high altitude flying typically poses several challenges for masks for pressure breathing. First, high mask pressures make it relatively difficult to hold the mask on the face with minimal leakage. Second, the xe2x80x9cGxe2x80x9d forces combined with the harnessing and mask pressures tend to cause discomfort for the user. Third, xe2x80x9cGxe2x80x9d forces sometimes cause the mask to lose proper position and to migrate around the face.
Because of the environment that the mask assembly is subjected to, namely the pressure differential in high altitude applications and the forces associated with High xe2x80x9cGxe2x80x9d force applications, it is desirable to minimize the volume of the internal breathing cavity. A larger breathing gas cavity where pressure is higher than ambient would create greater forces urging the mask away from the face of the user thus requiring tighter restraints to keep the mask on the face.
Accordingly there is a need for an oro-nasal mask that minimizes the surface area xe2x80x9cfootprintxe2x80x9d of the mask internal breathing cavity on the face.
With any pressure breathing mask, some force needs to be exerted on the face to counteract pressure forces and for harnessing. It is important to exert this force in a fashion so that it is not localized or causing pressure points on isolated areas such as the bridge of the nose.
Also, because varying xe2x80x9cGxe2x80x9d loads and directions will magnify any mask weight and attempt to pull it around the face there is a need for a mask design that is structurally supported on the face so as to be resistant to being pulled around the face.
Further, in order to provide a proper seal for different face sizes and face shapes, it is often desirable to provide an arrangement so that breathing conduits or the like can be easily and quickly combined with more than one size mask.
In addition to the high altitude, high performance setting, the modular design would also be important to many other types of masks including, but not limited to, full facepiece masks, standard half facepiece masks, half facepiece masks with detachable goggles, or the like.
The present invention meets the above-described need by providing a respiratory mask and service module combination.
The mask provides a modular arrangement such that the service module can be used with many different sized mask assemblies.
The service module is described herein in connection with a mask assembly suitable for high xe2x80x9cGxe2x80x9d force applications. However, as it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, the service module could also be integrated into modular designs for other types of masks including, but not limited to, full facepiece masks, standard half facepiece masks, half facepiece masks with detachable goggles, or the like.
Also, in order to provide a proper seal for different face sizes and face shapes, it is often desirable to provide more than one size mask. The present invention provides for interchanging different mask assemblies with a single service module.